Swirl nozzles can include a vessel or body with a substantially cylindrical nozzle chamber, at least one tangential scrubber fluid inlet into the nozzle chamber, and at least one nozzle bore arranged in a nozzle chamber bottom and extending coaxially with its respective axis with respect to the nozzle chamber. A conduit for feeding the scrubber, or scrubbing or wash fluid, can be secured at the tangential scrubber fluid inlet, and this conduit carries, supports or secures the position of the swirl nozzle.
Conventional swirl nozzles of this type in practical use are made of a steel inclusive of the scrubbing fluid inlet fitting. The nozzle chamber is provided in a cylindrical vessel or pot-like structure. The scrubbing or scrubber fluid inlet is provided then by a short pipe or nipple which is welded to the vessel.
The demands made of such a swirl nozzle are considerable. This applies particularly when the scrubber or scrubbing fluid also contains solid particles, for example in the form of finely divided or finely ground limestone, or contains acidic components or acids. Accordingly, the cylindrical nozzle chamber has to withstand wear, erosion and corrosion.
When the scrubbing fluid exits from the nozzle bore or bores, the entire system or structure is additionally subject to vibration. These vibrations must be absorbed in the known devices by the nipple or short pipe end which forms the scrubber fluid inlet. Thus the assembly is generally fully supported by the feed conduit for the introduction of the scrubbing fluid or liquid. This requires mounting of the feed conduit so as to withstand such vibrations.
All these factors are considered in the prior art in such a way that with respect to mechanical aspects and with respect to vibration no problems arise, i.e. the usual precautions suffice. The fatigue resistance meets all requirements. With respect to wear and corrosion resistance, however, the known devices leave much to be desired.
Recently ceramic wear materials have become known in other technological areas. For example, ceramic wear material is used in cutter plates for shaping metallic parts with machine tools, i.e. cutting techniques leaving shavings, chips, turnings and similar remains. The wear materials have also been used as wear cladding for structural components and machine parts which are particularly prone to wear and which have been made of steel in the past.
The ceramic wear materials are then secured as plates or the like at the machine parts or elements which are subjected to wear. One might think, correspondingly, that the aforedescribed swirl nozzles could be clad in their wear-prone regions, for example in the nozzle chamber, with a ceramic wear material, armoring the region as it were. However, such a solution is difficult to implement and, accordingly, cumbersome. On the other hand, such ceramic wear materials can withstand compressive-load applications or requirements, but they can only be subjected to minor tensile loads, and only to low bending stress.
Accordingly, the known swirl nozzles as a whole can not readily be made of ceramic wear materials. Particularly the ability to withstand vibration is not sufficient and early break-down or failure is experienced.
The term "ceramic wear material" is used here to refer to a ceramic which has an excellent resistance to abrasive wear.